McCann police search Portuguese scrubland

A Scotland Yard detective works on an area in Praia da Luz,
near Lagos. REUTERS/Carlos Vidigal

Police investigating the 2007 disappearance of British
girl Madeleine McCann have sealed off an area of scrubland in
the Portuguese resort where the three-year-old went missing,
the BBC has reported.

An area was taped off in the Praia da Luz holiday resort in
the Algarve region of southern Portugal. Detectives said in
May the seven-year search was heading towards "a substantial
stage of activity".

McCann disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in
Praia da Luz in May 2007 while her parents dined with friends
at a nearby restaurant, prompting a global search and
headlines worldwide.

Despite the international attention, the fate of McCann
remains a mystery. British police began a review of the case
in 2011 at the instigation of Prime Minister David Cameron
following appeals from McCann's parents, and then launched
their own investigation which has thrown up a number of
leads.

British police declined to comment on the activity in Praia
da Luz on Monday.